Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City: from the creator of Draw with Rob

by Rob Biddulph

Overview

'A thrilling journey into a magical world packed with Rob’s brilliant humour.' – David Walliams

Superstar, author and illustrator Rob Biddulph dazzles in Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City, the first title in an adventure series for boys and girls of 8+. This exciting, funny, middle-grade debut is from the bestselling creative genius behind #DrawWithRob and is illustrated in black and white throughout.

Some legends are born, some are drawn . . .

Drawing feels like magic to Peanut Jones. But art can't fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing, and she's stuck in a boring new school. Until the day she finds a unique pencil turbo-charged with special powers. Suddenly she's pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and danger than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, just maybe, she might find out what happened to her dad.

'Peanut Jones is AWESOME. I loved this book from start to finish - the story is packed with twists and turns, and Rob’s illustrations are full of wit and warmth' – Nadia Shireen

'A vividly illustrated, immersive romp that will leave readers desperate for the next instalment' – Guardian

'A wildly imaginative, big-hearted celebration of creativity' - Anna James, bestselling author of the Pages & Co series

'Look at this utter beauty . . . This book is EPIC' - Laura Ellen Anderson, bestselling author of Amelia Fang

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529040531
Publisher:	Pan Macmillan
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Series:	Peanut Jones , #1
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning author/illustrator. He is also the official World Book Day Illustrator for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City is his fiction debut and the first title in a major series.

He is the author of many highly, acclaimed, award-winning picture books, including Blown Away, GRRRRR!, Odd Dog Out, Sunk, Kevin, Show and Tell, Dog Gone and the Dinosaur Juniors series.

In March 2020 he started #DrawWithRob, a series of twice-weekly draw-along videos designed to help parents whose children were forced to stay home from school due to the Covid 19 pandemic. #DrawWithRob became an internet sensation, garnering national and international media coverage, and has been used as a learning resource by thousands of families across the globe. On 21 May 2020 he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest ever online art class when 45,611 people tuned in to his live #DrawWithRob YouTube class.

Before he became a full-time author/illustrator Rob was the art director of the Observer Magazine, NME, Uncut, SKY and Just Seventeen. He lives in London with his wife and three daughters and hasn't given up hope that, maybe, one of them will go to an Arsenal match with him one day.

Editorial Reviews

Rob Biddulph is one of my favourite illustrators and authors. Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City is a thrilling journey into a magical world packed with Rob’s brilliant humour. It is also the most wonderfully designed book I have seen in ages.” —David Walliams

“A vividly illustrated, immersive romp that will leave readers desperate for the next instalment” —Guardian

“Goodness me, THIS BOOK. Rob Biddulph has only gone & done it again. Committed the ultimate crime of being FAR TOO AWESOME. I mean, look at this utter beauty?! Those illustrations. This book is EPIC” —Laura Ellen Anderson

“A wildly imaginative, big-hearted celebration of creativity” —Anna James, bestselling author of the Pages & Co series

“A masterful mix of art, heart and edge-of-your-seat adventure. I love Peanut Jones!” —Sibeal Pounder

“Fresh and original, it's full of Biddulph's characteristic warmth and, of course, his striking illustrations.” —Fiona Noble, The Bookseller

“This is a beautiful book, the images on the page and the magnificent imagery created by the words exist in perfect harmony, each helping the other to tell the story of Peanut's emotions and journey. There is a real joy in this book, one of finding strength and friendships along with the sting of real life and the pain of losing a parent. Like Rob Biddulph says, 'Some legends are born, others are drawn…' and Peanut Jones and her plight are most definitely that of a legend.” —ReadingZone

From the Publisher

2024-07-04
A young girl creates a door to a magical world made of illustrations.

Twelve-year-old Pernilla “Peanut” Jones is having a miserable year: Her beloved father (who drew something new for her Packed Lunch Post-it Note Collection daily) has disappeared, and her practical mum has transplanted her from the school she loves to St. Hubert’s School for the Seriously Scientific and Terminally Mathematic. When Peanut happens upon a mysterious pencil, she discovers that whatever she draws with it becomes real. With her new friend, Rockwell, and her genius younger sister, Little-Bit, she draws a door. The trio enters the Illustrated City of Chroma, where the nefarious mayor, Mr. White, is determined to eliminate all creativity using his machine, the Big X. Together the kids (and an adorable scribble of a dog named Doodle) join forces with the Resistance, battling dastardly droids to infiltrate a pernicious prison named the Spire in hopes of saving Chroma. Biddulph’s series opener is a heavily illustrated page-turner that leans on familiar genre tropes; fans of portal fantasies will find much to enjoy here. More experienced readers may find the twists predictable and the cliffhanger ending foreseeable. Biddulph imbues this smoothly written work with humorous elements and a STEAM-based slant, name-dropping famous artists, inventors, and scientists. Peanut and Little-Bit appear white, and Rockwell reads Black.

A quirky and accessible portal fantasy that covers well-trodden ground. (glossary)(Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews